Developer can 'deliver on promise' for Leeds homes and health centre after 18 years

A delighted developer has said that a promise he made to a Leeds community 18 years ago can finally be delivered after councillors moved the plans on for approval.

Members of Leeds City Council considered landowner Sean Cunningham’s proposals for 21 homes, a medical centre and a retail unit - hoped to be a chemist’s – at land off Fall Lane and Meadow Side Road in East Ardsley.

The outline application was recommended by council officers for refusal when it was brought before the South and West Plans Panel for the second time last month, then deferred.

But they today unanimously agreed to delegate it for approval, subject to certain conditions and legal agreements, after the applicant and the planning authority worked together on contentious issues including those on housing layouts and building sizes.

Speaking after, Mr Cunningham said: “I’m finally delivering a promise to the local community that we made 18 years ago. We look forward to delivering that as soon as possible.”

Coun Peter Gruen said that members were “helpfully critical” of the scheme when it last came to the panel.

Mr Cunningham added: “I would like to thank the councillors for steering us in the right direction and thank Leeds City Council planning officers, particularly Victoria Hinchliff Walker, for dedicating an extensive amount of time on the subject in the last four weeks since it was deferred.”

Coun Thomas Leadley said it was a “very welcome application”, adding: “It’s the last piece of the jigsaw that people have been waiting for for a long time.”

He said that the area has needed a surgery for 20 years.

Proposals for the wider site area were approved in 2001 – with developments coming to fruition around the site since – and this application related only to the final 1.5 acres of the plan. Detailed plans for the site will next have to be submitted before building goes ahead.